30 Days of Meditation

For the month of June, I challenged myself to meditate every single day. I have been meditating on and off for the last two years, and felt that I needed more consistency if I wanted to experience progress in my practice. I would go three or four days and then get “too busy,” for meditation, which would lead me to start all over again in order to find my zen. So for June, I decided to make meditation a daily priority.

The only guideline I set for myself was to do it for 30 consecutive days, otherwise there were no restrictions. I allowed myself to stay open to various meditation techniques because I wanted to see what would resonate the best. For the first two weeks, I practiced all different styles. I sat upright and observed my thoughts. I laid down and listened to guided meditations. I chanted mantras for eleven minutes at a time. And I recited affirmations in the morning. I simply allowed myself to be guided to what I felt I needed to try.

By the third week, a routine began to take form without any effort. I would wake up and almost immediately begin the day with affirmations and in the afternoon, I would crave a deeper connection and practice yoga nidra and/or chakra meditation. By the fourth week, this had become embedded into my daily schedule. I did it— I found my groove, baby!

30 days later I learned…

Centering yourself is essential for growth. My patience and ability to remain clam have grown, allowing me to become more aware of my thought patterns, reactions, and habits. This is because meditation helps you to becomes the observer of the self. And with this heightened awareness, I have assessed where I need to break habits and move forward. Believe me when I say, I’ve spent quite some times in the last few weeks staring out into nothing with my eyes stunned wide open.

There is always time for meditation. All that’s required is a few minutes. And in a few minutes, you can increase awareness and access the power of your mind. In the end, you actually end up saving time, because centering yourself helps you to find solutions rather than fuel problems.

The importance of putting yourself first. I realized that if I didn’t take care of myself first, I was never going to accomplish any of my goals with the right amount of enthusiasm. Connecting to myself helped me find purpose, even in the smallest tasks.

To be more open to the unknown. I opened myself up to a new business opportunity with little to no fear. I also noticed that my dreams were becoming more and more vivid. Toward the end of the 30 days, I proclaimed that I was ready to open myself up to more; more knowledge, more experiences, more wisdom. That night, I woke up at 2 AMwith an incredible message from a deceased relative. I laid wide awake in my bed dumbfounded at what had just transpired. Alas, one of those eye-stunning moments.

Some days I find it harder to meditate than others. Some days I feel more connected and inspired. But that’s all part of it. It’s a practice, just like any other. Today, I’m on day 32, but I think I’m going to stop counting because I’m not doing it to reach a certain number. I’m doing it because I realize it’s just as essential as drinking water.